Quad Cities Campus

About the Jeff Leibovitz Collection of Holocaust Materials

What is the Leibovitz Special Collection?

This special collection includes over 1,000 books, videos, posters, photo aids, kits, curriculum guides, reference material, and other items related to the Holocaust. These resources are particularly suitable for upper-elementary, middle- and high-school teachers and students.

What is the Purpose of the Leibovitz Special Collection?

  • To provide ready access to a wide range of high-quality material for teaching and learning about the Holocaust.
  • To support undergraduate and graduate coursework, curriculum development, and professional development opportunities for local educators.
  • To encourage educators to review Holocaust literature and other materials as they consider purchasing and/or using them in their classrooms.

Why is the Leibovitz Special Collection Important?

The Leibovitz Collection is an effort to support teachers as they build their own knowledge about the Holocaust and encourage relevant discourse in the classroom.

On January 1, 1990, Illinois became the first state to require that students in all public elementary and high schools be taught about the Holocaust. Since that time, many other states have enacted legislation mandating or supporting Holocaust education. Some states, including Iowa, have made Holocaust studies a part of their multicultural and human rights curricula.

In light of this initiative, many pre-service and practicing teachers in the Quad Cities area are seeking materials to help them develop a curriculum and plan instructional units and activities for Holocaust studies. The Leibovitz Special Collection is intended to support current and future teachers by giving them immediate access to quality materials.

In addition, because Holocaust education materials are often published in limited numbers or by small publishing houses, they are soon out of print. The Leibovitz Special Collection offers access to resources that are often not found in nearby libraries.

How was the Leibovitz Special Collection Developed?

The Collection began as a result of the efforts and contributions of the family and friends of Jeff Leibovitz. Jeff was an elementary education student who died suddenly of a heart attack in 1994 as he was completing his degree program in the Quad Cities. Additional funds have been provided through the WIU Foundation Office with grants from the Doris and Victor Day Foundation, the Rauch Family Foundation, the Riverboat Development Authority, and the Rock Island Community Foundation.

Some materials have also been donated by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.